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What's New

State Chart Book on Wages for Personal & Home Care Aides

A new publication from PHI looks at the decline in inflation-adjusted wages for personal and home care aids.

DSW Symposium Follow-Up Call

All attendees of the Symposium are invited to participate in a follow-up call on August 4 to discuss themes that emerged from the Symposium and ideas for next steps.

National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week

The U.S. Senate recently adopted the ANCOR-drafted resolution designating the week beginning September 8th as National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.

Stakeholder Recommendations to Improve Recruitment, Retention, and the Perceived Status of Paraprofessional Direct Service Workers in Texas

June 2008 report from the Texas Direct Service Workforce Initiative includes recommendations to improve recruitment, retention, and the perceived status of DSW in Texas.


Federal Funding

Federal Funding

In considering the various sources of federal funding for DSW initiatives, we recommend that you consider the following:

  • Make sure you know which federal grants your state has already received or is applying for. Familiarize yourself with these grants’ objectives and requirements and identify whether there might be a connection to DSW issues that would allow you to collaborate on an existing project, rather than seeking new funding.
  • Federal grant money often flows to states through formula or block grants. The best way to access certain federal monies may be through your state government.
  • Think about whether it makes more sense to apply for a demonstration grant or funding to support a research project, or to support DSW improvement efforts with more constant sources of funding like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or a Medicaid home and community based services waiver.

Here are some general on-line resources about federal grants:

  • Grants.gov: The Grants.gov website is a single access point that allows organizations to electronically find and apply for more than $400 billion in Federal grants offered by all Federal grant-making agencies. The website allows organizations to search for grants, sign up for email notification of specific grant opportunities, and download grant application packages.
  • Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): The CFDA describes both Federal grants and non-financial assistance programs and includes a keyword index. The catalog is published annually and updated continuously. The CFDA also provides guidance for writing Federal grant proposals.

Sources of Federal Funding: